


You Love Her

by immortalpramheda



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 04:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15235185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalpramheda/pseuds/immortalpramheda
Summary: Raven pushes Bellamy to come to terms with the way he feels about Clarke.





	You Love Her

Bellamy is pacing the room, sick to his stomach with worry about Echo. She’s on a mission, and he specifically told her to contact them the minute she had succeeded. She should have contacted them an hour ago, but they still hadn’t heard anything.

 

Raven sighs, annoyed at him “Pacing back and forth is _not_ going to help her,” she says, glancing up from the computer in which she is monitoring.

 

“I’m just worried, that’s all,” he says, noticing his voice is starting to break, the way it does when he’s nervous.

 

“Well, instead of letting yourself get worked up, why don’t you come here and help me?” she says.

 

Bellamy stands there tapping his foot. She’s right, worrying is going to do nothing, so he joins her over at the computer.

 

She eyes him attentively. “You love her?”

 

He holds back tears as he nods. “Yes, Raven, I _do_.”

 

She leans back in the chair and crosses her arms. “But for you, loving someone means protecting them, even when they don’t need protection.”

 

He shakes his head and brushes his hand through his hair. “Echo _does_ need protection. You saw her on the Ark… the amount of times she tried to…” he trails off, unable to finish his sentence.

 

“I know,” she says sympathetically. “She was suicidal on the Ark, I _know_. And I don’t doubt that your love and protection is the reason that she’s still alive. But Bellamy.” She looks at him. “We’re _not_ on the Ark now. She doesn’t need your protection anymore.”

 

“You don’t know that,” he says harshly.

 

She leans forward. “Yes, I _do_.” She sighs and takes a deep breath. “You need to give her space…”

 

“No,” Bellamy cuts in. “I _promised_ to keep her safe.”

 

“Just like you promised to keep your sister safe,” Raven says, raising her eyebrows. “You love your sister deeply, anyone with a pair of eyes can see that. And I know you did everything you could to protect her, but eventually, you had to let her go.” She shakes her head and looks down. “Love like that… one sided love, where one half feels the need to protect the other, it’s _not_ the kind of love that Echo needs.”

 

He scratches his head as he finds Raven’s eyes again. “What are you saying?”

 

“I’m _saying_ ,” she starts, straightening herself up. “That the love you feel for Echo is the _same_ love you feel for Octavia. A want… no, a _need,_ to be the one to protect them from harm. You eventually had to let your sister go, and you need to do the same with Echo.”

 

He shakes his head. “Raven, I know you have good intentions, but I can’t break up with her…”

 

She sighs, knowing the extent of Bellamy’s loyalty, of how desperately he feels the need to do right by the people he loves. “She’ll understand,” she says as she turns back to the computer.

 

He stands up, frustrated that his friend is saying this to him. No, they were more than friends, they were _family,_ and she is telling him to break up with his girlfriend. “Raven…”

 

“What about Clarke?” she snaps, turning sharply towards him.

 

He’s taken aback by her sudden tone. “What about her?”

 

“You love her?” she says firmly, more of a statement and less of a question.

 

“Yes, of _course_ I love her. We’ve been through so much together, all those years ago, and when I thought she was dead and then when I found out she was alive…” He pauses to centre himself, and then changes his trail of thought. “I don’t know what you’re implying…”

 

“It’s different with her, isn’t it?” she says. “You _don’t_ feel the need to protect her.”

 

He contemplates that. She’s right, as much as he would like to protect Clarke, he knows that he doesn’t need to. Surviving on the ground, alone, for six years proved that she doesn’t need _anyones_ protection. She is completely fine on her own.

 

“Because she doesn’t need protecting,” Raven continues. “And neither do you. You’re _equals._ You support each other, that’s the kind of love you _need_ , and the kind of love you need to _give_.” She rolls her chair closer to him to make sure that he is understanding all of this. “Wanting to protect people is great, but loving them wholeheartedly is the key. And I know that is _not_ the way you feel about Echo.”

 

He tries to process everything that Raven has just said, and he realises that she is right. He loves Echo, he has no doubt about that, but did he love her romantically? He thought he did but maybe he was wrong.

 

Maybe Raven was right. That the love he has for Echo is more comparable to the love he has for his sister. The need to want to protect them from harm, to prevent them from self destructing.

 

But with Clarke, they both have immense respect and admiration for each other, and as Raven said, it’s _not_ one sided. One of them is not trying to protect the other. They look out for each other. They help each other. They bring out the best in each other.

 

He sinks down in the chair and she looks at him carefully. “Raven… you’re right about everything, about wanting to protect the people I love, and Clarke…”

 

She gives him a small smile. “You love her,” she says matter of factly. “In a way that goes beyond _any_ love you’ve felt for anyone else before.”

 

He nods without hesitation, because he knows that it’s entirely true.

 

Suddenly, the computer beeps and Echo’s voice radiates through the speakers. “Raven, Bellamy?” she says through the radio static.

 

“Echo, did you do it?” Raven asks firmly.

 

“It’s done,” she confirms. “Onto the next phase, I’ll check in with you later.”

 

Raven leans back and smirks. “I _told_ you she can take care of herself.”

 

Bellamy feels the knot in his stomach unfurl and a wave of calm wash over his body. Echo doesn’t need his protection anymore, not now that they’re on the ground. He needs to express his love in some other way, and to someone else, someone who needs love and _not_ protection.

 

And his heart knew exactly who that person was.


End file.
